biz ellis

Biz and Theresa take a look at the highs and lows of lemonade stands and other childhood financial endeavors. The first clue that a child might not understand monetary value is when they want to charge $100 for a rock. On the one hand, we want to encourage creativity and foster an understanding of money and business in our kids. On the other hand, we will probably spend the whole day manning the lemonade stand, or wind up with a drawer full of "art" that we purchased from our own child. Plus Biz gets medieval on your ass, Theresa prepares for school, and we talk to Josh Hamilton from the movie Eighth Grade.

Biz and Theresa unpack their emotional baggage around actual packing. When did going on a three day trip turn into packing for an expedition to the Amazon? The amount of stuff we absolutely need to bring with us weighs heavy on the soul, not to mention the airplane baggage limit. Plus Biz returns from the Midwest, Theresa fills her mind, and we talk to Jessica Love about her new picture book, Julián is a Mermaid.

Biz and Theresa wonder what is up with pirates? Real pirates are known for theft and murder, but every other kid has a pirate costume. (And, let's face it, they're adorable.) From swordplay to walking the plank...I guess we're all culturally cool with our kids admiring and identifying with this one particular violent and morally-corrupt lifestyle. LOL! But yeah honestly we're fine with it, guys. Getting a group of kids to yell "ARRRRRRGH!" never gets old. Plus, Biz kisses camp goodbye, Theresa masters the morning, and we talk to Angela Garbes about her new book, Like a Mother: A Feminist Journey Through the Science and Culture of Pregnancy.

Biz and Theresa explore the complicated nature of receiving gifts from our children, from edible treats to physical affection to artistic renderings. How do we celebrate these occasionally misguided and even off-putting but nonetheless heartfelt gifts without sacrificing...oh, I don't know, our human dignity? HA! Are we really required to eat the thing that the 4 year old is calling "pancakes?" Plus, Biz feels like a fair ride, Theresa is ready for stuff to start getting easier, and we talk with Alissa Quart, author of SQUEEZED: Why Our Families Can’t Afford America.

Biz and Theresa talk about how it feels when our kids express their feelings or needs in an unkind manner. “I hate forks!” “AHHHH! I put the shirt on before underpants!” “My day is ruined! You are ruining my day!” Helping our kids navigate their emotions and teaching them to speak their needs kindly is important, but also tiring. When you add to it the emotional pummeling of being yelled at by a four-year-old, Biz and Theresa wonder how we can ever get space to regulate our own feelings. Plus, Biz says goodbye to Steve, Theresa has a pet peeve, and we talk to author Tim J. Myers about fatherhood.

Biz and Theresa are live from Chicago! This is the second of two episodes recorded in May at GMan Tavern. Chicago Tribune lifestyle writer Heidi Stevens joins us to talk about interrupting and help us try to figure out how to teach our kids not to interrupt. Since that probably won’t happen, we may as well just go ahead and never try to have a normal adult conversation again. Problem solved! Plus, live genius and fails!

This week on One Bad Mother, Biz and Theresa dive into the good and bad memories of swimming as kids and look at how those experiences play into what we want for our kids. Should we throw them in, or respect their complete fear of wet hair? What if they aren't the water babies we'd hoped they'd be? What if they never know the joy of Marco Polo or Martha Washington hairstyles? Plus Biz is hosting podcast summer camp, Theresa is excited for the summer, and Katy Belle drops by to give opinions.

Biz and Theresa explore our desire to prove to others that we’re doing enough as parents. Regardless of what we’re going through with our kids, when someone tries to be helpful by saying, “Have you tried...xyz?” it can leave us feeling like all our efforts are invisible. So...that’s a thing! Plus, Biz wonders “Who those people are?,” Theresa has been shocked, and we speak with author Rumaan Alam about his new novel That Kind Of Mother.

Biz and Theresa wonder what "nagging" really is. Do we just want to keep our kids happy and comfortable or is “nagging” just another word used to belittle women? We know that developmentally kids need help remembering what they need, from keeping hands clean to dressing for the weather to staying safe. But at what point do we need to let go and hope they learn on their own from experiencing discomfort? Hint: NEVER! Plus Biz has a Bad Reputation, Theresa accepts some stuff, and we talk to Kate Rope about the importance of mental health as part of more traditional things to expect when you are expecting in her new book Strong As A Mother.

Biz and Theresa are live from the GMan Tavern in Chicago with special guest comic creator Lucy Knisley, and we want to know what makes a bad influence. Rock 'n' Roll? Video Games? That one kid with the sailor mouth? Captain Underpants? Do we ban it all to make life easier or is this really about us wanting to get rid of something we find annoying rather than dangerous. Whichever it is, we should definitely overthink it. Plus, live genius and fails!